AND so once again, we react to the flooding of Redbridge, in heavy rain!

I say “Once Again” a phrase I have repeated over many years - in fact 50.

In the early sixties and here after this has been an ever present problem.

And so let us first examine the problem from my previous experience as the councillor for both Redbridge and Millbrook, in the early sixties!

I imagine that what we have is a problem repeated endlessly, when ever we experience heavy rain. For normal periods surface rain is carried away through gulley’s and drains into the River Test at Redbridge.

However a problem occurs at high tide, under normal circumstance’s, flood gate’s are open, but closed at the predicted seasonal high tides. Adequate for normal weather.

It is how ever a different ball game, when the rain is excessive, accompanied by a high tide, the tide gates have to be closed to prevent the sea cascading through the adjacent land, and over the main approach road from the “West” believe me when I say that for some unfortunate houses when that coincides with heavy rain large area,s are flooded.

There is in my experience over several years as a councillor for both Redbridge and Millbrook, a very real and present problem!

I can think of only one solution, close the dock flood gates at this point permanently, whilst providing pumping stations, and or water chutes, adjacent to the existing outlets which would then be closed.

You may well say that this solution is way over the top, try living there!

It is [and I do not exaggerate] bloody awful, and I imagine uninsurable!

Alan Reynard

Southampton